Shaping the Circle

EXHIBIT: Introduction

WHY GERMANS SETTLED IN INDIANAPOLIS

In the Midwest the German immigrant found what he was searching for: both
work and land. Compared with other regions the land was still cheap, and in
many instances the immigrant could buy directly from the government land
office. The Midwest was developing rapidly, and artisans, skilled workers,
professional men, and laborers were in demand. In addition, most crops
cultivated in the Midwest were familiar to the German; therefore, no
fundamental reorientation was required on his part. . . .

It is apparent that the German immigrants in Indianapolis were numerous
enough by 1850 to make an impact upon society. At
least one-eighth of the population had come from the Germanies. However, this
is still not the total of those of ethnic German origin in the city, for there
is good reason to believe that a large percentage of those people who had come
from the Middle Atlantic states, particularly Pennsylvania, and from Ohio, were
of German stock. . . . [This nucleus of German immigrants] was destined to be
enlarged and stimulated by the coming of other Germans during succeeding
decades.